Concerns over placement process of sexually violent predators in East County
ABC 10News
and last updated 2021-04-28 20:46:21-04
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Concerns were raised on Wednesday over the complicated search for answers as to how two sexually violent predators (SVPs) could soon be living inside a suburban Mt. Helix home in unincorporated El Cajon. The proposed house is about three or four homes down from us and across the street, said neighbor Sarah Hollis. She contacted ABC 10News after learning that SVPs Douglas Badger and Merle Wakefield might move in. We just want to know how this house was chosen, said added.
EAST COUNTY
State hospital officials on Tuesday proposed placing a second sexually violent predator at a home on Mount Helix, just weeks after the first proposed placement at the home prompted fierce backlash from hundreds of residents in the neighborhood near El Cajon.
Merle Wade Wakefield, 64
(Courtesy of San Diego County Sheriff’s Department)
A judge approved the conditional release of Merle Wade Wakefield, 64, in January. A virtual hearing to address his proposed placement at 10957 Horizon Hills Drive is set for 9 a.m. May 10 in San Diego Superior Court, at which time community members can listen in on Zoom and comment on the proposed placement location.
EAST COUNTY
About 200 people who live on or near Mount Helix gathered Tuesday night to voice their opposition to the placement of at least one sexually violent predator in a nearby home.
Authorities announced last week the proposed placement of 78-year-old Douglas Badger at the home on Horizon Hills Drive off Avocado Boulevard.
Neighbors also fear authorities will soon propose housing a second sexually violent predator at the location based on what looks to be a draft press release discovered on the San Diego County District Attorney’s website. It lists the home at 10957 Horizon Hills Drive as the proposed placement location for 63-year-old Merle Wade Wakefield.
Guest editorial by San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe
In late 2019 I was notified by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office about the proposed release and placement of a convicted rapist and child molester in the desert community of Joshua Tree. The offender, who was classified as a sexually violent predator by the state, was ordered by a Ventura County judge to be released into San Bernardino County despite never living nor committing his crimes in this county.
Unsurprisingly, the proposed release of this predator created a groundswell of opposition from local residents and elected officials, including myself. After a community meeting was held with hundreds in attendance, we launched a letter-writing campaign to make the court aware of our concerns. I even travelled to Ventura County to testify on behalf of my constituents during the hearing that would ultimately determine his fate. After listening to testimony and reading the letters submitted by the publ
The court hearing to determine if Lawtis Rhoden, a sexually violent predator, should be located to Twentynine Palms has been delayed a month. The hearing was originally scheduled for Friday, April 16; the new date is Friday, May 21. In March, the Orange County Superior Court tentatively ordered convicted child rapist and violent sexual predator Rhoden, 71, to be released into a residential neighborhood in Twentynine Palms, despite having no ties to the City of Twentynine Palms or the Morongo Basin area. Residents are encouraged to write emails or letters to protest the proposed move of Rhoden to the Morongo Basin.
A statement by County Supervisor Dawn Rowe can be seen here: